Helen Setyan

Physical Therapist
Dr. Helen Setyan didn’t know it at the time, but she first discovered meditation right before sleep one night when she was 13 years old. “I played with just focusing my attention on the lights I continued to see when I first closed my eyes,” she remembers. “Fascinated by the ways in which the colors were changing, I kept my attention there. I remember being in the most quiet, pleasing, and restful state.” She later rediscovered meditation while praying in church, but it wasn’t until she began attending meditation services at a Buddhist temple in 2011 that her formal meditation practice began. That led her on a long journey through India and Nepal, where she began to narrow in on her meditation style. Now a board-certified physical therapist, Yoga Alliance–certified yoga instructor, and trained mindfulness facilitator through UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, Dr. Setyan is dedicated to the practice and integration of the mind-body systems approach to addressing pain, wellness, prevention, and recovery of functional limitations for general orthopedic neurologic, chronic pain, and performance arts injuries. Her specialties include pain science, trauma, mindfulness facilitation, movement science, and manual interventions including craniosacral therapy and myofascial release.
Los Angeles California United States
Helen Setyan

Testimonials

Training

  • Association for Yoga and Meditation

    200-Hour Yoga Certification Dec 2020 - Present (4 years)
  • Think Cultural Health

    Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals Nov 2020 - Present (4 years)
  • UpRising Yoga

    Trauma-Informed Yoga Training Jan 2020 - Present (5 years)
  • UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research

    Mindfulness Facilitator Dec 2019 - Present (5 years)
  • UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

    Working with Stored Emotions and Trauma Somatically and Safely​ May 2018 - Present (7 years)
  • UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

    Mindfulness Awareness Practices for Daily Living May 2018 - Present (7 years)
  • InsightLA

    MBSR Fundamentals Jan 2015 - Present (10 years)

Education

  • Mount St. Mary's University

    Doctorate in Physical Therapy 2006 - 2010
  • University of Southern California

    Bachelor of Arts in Communication 2002 - 2006

Experience

  • Physical Therapist

    Latham & Watkins Jan 2019 - Present (6 years)
  • Stress Management Specialist

    UCLA Ornish Lifestyle Medicine Program Jan 2019 - Present (6 years)
  • Clinical Rehabilitation Specialist/Liaison

    ​California Rehabilitation Institute Jan 2017 - Jan 2018 (a year)
  • Yoga Instructor and Program Developer

    Faculty Practice Group (UCLA) Jan 2016 - Jan 2019 (3 years)
  • Contributor, Panel of Experts

    UCLA Center for Human Nutrition Jan 2016 - Jan 2019 (3 years)
  • Outpatient Orthopedic Physical Therapist

    UCLA Jan 2013 - Present (12 years)
  • Inpatient/Acute Care Physical Therapist

    Glendale Adventist Medical Center Jan 2013 - Present (12 years)
  • Outpatient/Inpatient Acute Physical Therapist

    ​Natividad Medical Center Jan 2011 - Jan 2012 (a year)